Warrior build question

[salemoin]

Hello all

I've been trolling this site for years and usually discover an answer to many of my questions. However, I decided to replace my busted old chenowith chassis with a warrior frame. I felt like I was trying to glue back together a busted watermelon, so out with the old in with the new! I do need a few opinions from you good folk.

1.) as you can see from the pictures, the bottom tacked frame butts to the torsion housing, however, it is not notched or coped to fit nice and snug. The frontside and backside butt right up, but this leaves a significant gap. The tech at acme said it isn't notched because of the size differential. My issue is if I modify the frame to fit snug, it would make the bottom ~.25" short, which would effect the rest of the frame lining up. So my options are to cope it to match and chase this difference throughout. Or weld as is and fab some gussets to stiffen it up (not a horrible option either way).

2.) the pre tacked frame fits sortofok on the topside, but the bottom of each contains the Grand Canyon. Unfortunately (or fortunately:)) I only have a tig machine so caking over a gap isn't my style. Again, should I weld 3/4 and use gussets to brace, or tear the whole thing apart and essentially start over.

[ORANGECRUSHer]

why don't you ask berrien?
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Brian H.
I may not know everything,but I will try to help if I can
OrangeCrushER Berrien Warrior 2.4L Quad4
LAZY MARY 1970 Baja 1835cc

[dustymojave]

He already said he had OC. He described Acme's (Acme owns Berrien) answer being that they do not notch due to differences in torsion housings.

Part of the problem here is that the torsion housing has been very seriously ground on, I presume to remove the remains of the old Chenowth frame.

If notching the frame rails will move the torsion housing too much, my suggestion is to use short sections of 1.75" x .120 wall tube as an over sleeve on each bottom rail with the end of the 1.75 notched to fit the torsion, then with 1" rosette holes 3" away from the torsion housing, and the forward end of the sleeves cut at 30° from inline with the tube starting at 6" away from the torsion. If you slip the prepared sleeves on the frame rails before moving the torsion into place, you can get some weld connecting the frame tubes direct to the torsion before slipping the sleeves into place and welding them over. It will all make the joint stronger anyway, and look like you know what you're doing too.
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Richard
Offroading VW based cars since 1965
Tech Inspection 1963 - 2012 SCCA/SCORE/HDRA/MORE/MDR +
Retired from building Bajas, Fiberglass Buggies and Rails in the Mojave Desert. Also Sprints & Midgets, Dry Lakes, Road Race cars. All types New and Vintage
SoCalBajas Member
Kicked Cancer's A$$...1st and 2nd round...Fight ain't over yet.